


Parley Interim

by Amputation



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Character Study, Courtship, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Interlude, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mentions of Masterbation, Relationship(s), loose character descriptions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 16:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20585771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amputation/pseuds/Amputation
Summary: “I’m not here to kill you, Taako. Just here to glean some answers to the mystery of you boys and your inability to STAY DEAD.”Here be FBombs, but hey, if you listen to TAZ, you know those McElboys swear.





	Parley Interim

**Author's Note:**

> I have been sitting on this for like, a year. I figured I might as well post it. It may end abruptly, but those good, good McElboys finished the two dumbasses' story for me. This is just a bunch of dumb interludes to satisfy my damn need to know how their romance blossomed. I mean seriously, we go from tentacling dicks to ONE date on the moon to love declarations with nothing in between? Sounds fake but okay, I can run with that.
> 
> Anyway. Enjoy this garbage.

Taako swallows down the burst of initial fear. Fuck, who wouldn’t be terrified by actual literal death just showing up outta godsdamned nowhere? With a grand show of composure that he certainly doesn’t feel, Taako straightens from his exhausted slouch and shifts a hip to one side. He knows how good he looks in his skirt, even exhausted, and by Istus’ dorky knitting habit is he gonna use that to his advantage. He brushes his long hair off his shoulder and as coyly as he can manage (which is pretty fuckin’ coy, natch) he smoulders at the handsome man and says

“… that one’s on me.”

To his credit and Taako’s annoyance, (all that effort, and not even a reaction? Ugh!) Kravitz simply arches an elegant eyebrow, leaning back into the couch. He waves a hand lazily, and Taako subtly flinches, thinking the reaper is summoning a scythe or something to straight murder his beautiful ass but the weapon never manifests.

“I’m not here to kill you, Taako. Just here to glean some answers to the mystery of you boys and your inability to _stay dead._”

Taako scrutinizes Kravitz with a distrustful gaze before gusting a dramatic sigh and marching to the kitchen. The tension in the air is thick enough even Magnus’ stupid little pocketknife could have parted it easily, but Taako remains focussed. If he has to talk to this man (this extremely attractive man holy _fuck_) about dying and the clusterfuck that was Refuge and that stupid, shiny cup then he was going to get _smashed._

Dexterous, slender fingers grab the bottle of wine he’s stashed away from the greedy hands of his roommates and teammates along with two large stemless wine glasses. When he marches back over to the couch with his prize, he leers down at the dark-skinned man sitting rudely in the center of the couch.

“Budge over homie, or you’re gonna have a lap full of Taako in a hot second.”

Kravitz’s eyes widen nearly imperceptibly but Taako notices. Gods, does he notice. A dangerous smile splits his lips and he leans in close to the reaper’s gorgeous mug.

“Unless of course that was your plan all along, bone boy? I wouldn’t blame you, Kravitz, I am irresistible after all.”

The reaper regains his composure rapidly and rolls his eyes before shifting to a single side of the couch, gesturing to the open space with mock chivalry. Taako turns his nose in the air and huffs, dropping into the soft cushion with his usual panache, conjuring a mage hand lazily to pour the wine for him. The spectral hand glints lavender in the low light of the dorm as it passes Taako his glass, which the elf takes and promptly drains.

“Alright, Kravvy boy,” Taako starts, glancing down at the glass in his hands.

“Mmhm?”

“Look, here’s the deal. I don’t really want to talk about it. At all. You see, the thing is I really _hate_ dying. Like, I _hate _it. It’s the fucking worst. And ugh looping over and over dying over and over? Absofuckinglute worst thing _ever_.”

Taako loosens fingers that have grown dangerously tight around his glass.

“But I don’t have a choice, right? Like, doing this shit is my job now. I can’t just up and tell the BoB like, sorry my dudes but Taako’s good way out here away from shitty relics and dying. I mean… like the pay’s pretty good, digs are pretty sweet right? Besides, Taako ain’t gonna abandon those two chucklefucks because honestly? Magnus is gonna straight murder himself rushing in like a dingus and Merle is the most incompetent cleric burning spell slots on fuckin Zone of Truth and fondling plants _ughh!_” Taako makes a disgusted face briefly before sobering again. “So like… they need me, right? What am I saying, of course they need me! I’m _Taako_… from TV! Fuckin’ flipwizard extraordinaire!”

He laughs to himself, lacking the usual amount of humor and the conjured mage hand pours him more wine as Taako risks a glance at the quiet man beside him.

Kravitz is staring at him with an unreadable expression that Taako wants to claw off his stupidly handsome face. Kravitz sighs deeply and seems to lose some of his stiffness, raising a hand to run his fingers through his immaculate locs before reaching out and taking the glass that Taako’s mage hand had poured for him previously. Taako blinks as the reaper eyes the burgundy liquid in the glass and swirls it a few times before taking a tentative sip. Taako had poured the glass out of courtesy but hadn’t expected his dead (undead? Hmm.) guest to partake. He’s… surprised at the lack of animosity coming from Kravitz and the sheer amount of exhaustion there instead. He hadn’t thought that Death even got tired.

“Taako, is it safe to assume that you were forcibly killed and resurrected over and over again because of an outside force of magic from this relic you were hunting down?”

Kravitz’s cockney accent is steady, but there’s something lurking beneath the surface that has Taako nervous.

“Got it in one, hombre.”

Kravitz turns to face Taako, shifting his hips on the cushion and resting his glass in his lap.

“And the 40 some odd souls who repeatedly died and were resurrected alongside you? What were they? Collateral damage?”

His voice is sharp and Taako wants to flinch away. But honestly, like, that’s not his fault? How dare this attractive fuck blame him for shit he couldn’t control? Anger floods him, and for this brief shining moment his fear of just chillin’ with death vanishes as he jabs an immaculately manicured nail into the reaper’s chest in his indignation.

“Excuse you, buddy! I’ll have you know none of that shit is my fault, or Merle’s fault or Mag’s fault! We don’t have a godsdamned choice anymore, my dude! It’s our fucking job to retrieve these stupid objects; you think I want to see people hurt? You think _we _want to see people hurt?! Feel free to fuck off now, skelly-boy, cause I ain’t playing this shitty blame game with your spooky ass!”

Taako makes to stand up and get away from Kravitz, but the reaper stills him with a surprisingly gentle (and holy shit _cold_) hand on his wrist. Taako stares down at Kravitz and feels the righteous fury drain out of him at the reaper’s chastised expression.

“I… I apologize, Taako. I shouldn’t have taken my frustrations out in that manner. You’ve been forthright thus far, you do not deserve my ire.”

Taako hesitates, but he eventually sits back down, facing the chagrined reaper beside him.

“It’s my job to usher souls of the departed to the Astral plane, Taako.” He says, finally breaking the heavy silence.

“I’m good at my job. Very good. There’s a reason the Raven Queen has me in charge of her bounty hunters. But in all my centuries of existence, I have never needed to make as many excuses for my failures as I have since I’ve met you, Taako.”

Kravitz’s carmine eyes meet Taako’s and the elf is momentarily stunned. Kravitz takes a deep breath and sighs it out deeply before chuckling dryly.

“I find myself doing that frequently these days. Sighing, breathing… I don’t even need to breathe, Raven’s sake.”

The confession is candid and for a moment Taako is struck by how vulnerable this immensely powerful man is being.

“If it’s any consolation, my dude? Not breathing? Hella creepy, my man, so like, glad you’re bein’ a normie.”

The quip breaks Kravitz from his melancholy as he lets loose a short bark of laughter that warms Taako from his toes to the tips of his ears. Kravitz’s carmine eyes are sparkling when he looks at Taako and the elf is struck dumb for a moment.

It really is criminal how attractive death is.

Mollified by Kravitz’s amusement and earnest apologies, Taako heaves a great breath and explains everything as well as he knows it; he tells Kravitz about Jack and June and the Red Robe, the Chalice, Roswell, Ren, the Loops, the divine intervention, the worm… everything. He’s emotionally exhausted and drained from recounting the unfortunate affair, but he’s reluctant to show it so he brushes imaginary dirt off his mauve skirt and crosses one knee over the other while his reaper guest seems to be mulling everything over.

“Okay, Taako, here’s the deal,” Kravitz says, fiddling absently with a loc, “You boys are in a bad spot with the Raven Queen. She doesn’t particularly like it when bounties go uncollected, and you just raised your death count even higher than before. When you boys saved my bacon in that bizarre lab you had going, I was able to… _postpone_ your collection. You’re definitely on her radar, so to speak, but not just you. All those people trapped with you in that loop you mentioned in Refuge? Someone has to answer for that too.”

Taako snorts, “Jeez Krav, way to kill the mood,” he goofs before sobering.

Kravitz levels a heatless glare in Taako’s direction and heaves out another unnecessary sigh.

“It’s the honest truth, Taako. Someone has to answe—”

Kravitz abruptly snaps his jaw shut as his mortal form flickers skeletal for a brief moment, his eyes flashing crimson and shit mark Taako down as scared _and_ horny because hot _damn_ even when he’s Skeletor Kravitz is smoldering. Kravitz seems to shake himself from his stupor a few moments later, his flesh crawling back over his skeletal frame.

“Apologies, Taako,” he says, standing from the couch with a single fluid motion.

“What’s up, bonebro?”

Kravitz rolls his eyes at the nickname, “The Raven Queen just contacted me for a bounty, so I’m afraid we need to cut our conversation short. I don’t believe we’re done discussing the situation,” he says, gesturing vaguely at Taako, “but I must be going. May I see your stone of farspeech?”

Taako blinks, raising a delicate eyebrow in inquiry as he retrieves the stone from his skirt’s singular pocket. Handing it over, Taako’s warm fingers brush against Kravitz’s chilly ones, and for a moment it all feels too intimate, too _right_, as goose flesh races up Taako’s slender arm all the way to his chest. Kravitz doesn’t show much in the way of reaction, aside from a soft clearing of his throat as he fiddles with Taako’s stone of farspeech. When he hands it back, Taako notices how careful the reaper is to avoid touching Taako’s skin, and for a moment Taako recognizes that he’s… upset about that. He wants Kravitz to touch him again. He buries the thought quickly, examining his stone of farspeech.

“I’ve attuned your stone to mine. I’ll reach out again and we can set a time to continue this conversation at a later date. Good evening, Taako.”

And with that, Kravitz summons his scythe, cuts open a rift to the Astral plane, and is gone.

Taako sits by himself in the dorm that suddenly feels too large and empty, clutching his stone of farspeech to his chest. He glances down, the two glasses of half-drunk wine on the coffee table the only sign that he hadn’t been alone at all. A smile tugs at his lips as he stands and downs the rest of the wine before sashaying off to bed because he’s fucking exhausted and a Trance isn’t gonna cut it tonight.

He giggle-snorts quietly to himself. He’s basically just had a date with death… and survived. Hell yeah, Taako’s still got it.

* * *

A week goes by and Taako is _beat_. He’s tired, he’s cranky, and he’s feeling ignored. The Director started stepping up their quote unquote mandatory Reclaimer training and is being an absolute tyrant about it. There’s only so much physical training Taako can stand before he’s outtie! He’d tried to slip away that afternoon but freakin’ Team Sweet Flips had caught his gorgeous ass and proceeded to whoop it all around the dojo. He’s finally gotten some respite while Idiot 1 and Idiot 2 (Merle and Magnus, of course) are dicking around in the kitchen trying to find something to eat that isn’t gelatinous garbage from the mess hall.

Taako Time is in order and he starts it with a soak.

Now if there is one thing he loves most about the swanky dorms, it’s the beautiful bathroom. Huge vanity with seemingly infinite counter space, separate fantasy shower with water pressure to die for, and a beautiful claw foot porcelain monstrosity of a soaking tub that Taako frequently takes advantage of and loves the most.

Soaking in the magically warmed and bubbling water, Taako glances over at his pile of smelly training clothes by the tub, his lonely stone of farspeech nestled within the fabrics.

Taako’s not the kind of elf who’s going to moon (ha! Moon.) over a hot guy but… it’s been a week and still no contact. The stone has been silent for seven whole days now and he’s _done_. Kravitz (that handsome bastard!) is not going to get the best of him he decides, extending a leg out of the pastel pink bubbles and running his hands up the smooth appendage. Taako’s not usually the kind of wizard who will just sit around waiting to be called upon, but Kravitz had said he would contact Taako to continue their conversation. So he’d waited, but… it’s been a week since then. And not once has his stone lit up with a call from that cockney-voiced skelly-boy. He sits up abruptly, sloshing bubbles and water onto the floor as he leans over the edge of the tub to grasp the stone from its nesting place. Settling back into the froth, he gently rolls the smooth stone back and forth between sudsy fingers. Lifting the stone to his lips, Taako smirks. If the reaper wasn’t gonna’ come to him, he could go to the reaper.

“So, bone-boy, you able to put the spooky scythe down and spare a li’l time for ol’ Taako?”

There’s no response but it doesn’t deter the mischievous wizard at all. He settles more comfortably in his bath and drags the slender fingers not clutching the stone of farspeech through the bright pink bubbles.

“Now look, just because you’re salty bird mom called you home before the street lights came on last time doesn’t mean you can take it out on cha’boy here.”

Despite the stone’s continued silence, Taako presses on, lifting his leg from the water again and examining it.

“Besides, you said you were gonna hit me up, my dude. You’re a man of your word, aren’t ya’? Been a week, homie, nothin’ but radio silence on your end! Hmm. Maybe you kicked it.”

He pauses, snapping upwards and splashing water around the porcelain soaker.

“So, wait, can Death die? Is that a thing you can do?”

The stone crackles and Kravitz’s exasperated cockney tumbles through.

_“Hello, Taako.”_

“Kravitz, my dude! There you are! I was hoping your dulcet tones would grace these gorgeous ears!” he croons, sloshing more water around.

_“I’m quite busy at the moment and no, I have not ah, as you said ‘kicked it’. I died once and I’m fairly certain I cannot die a second time.”_

“Fairly certain or totally certain? There’s a big degree of variance there, my man. You should confirm with your bird mom about that.”

Taako smirks and rolls around to his stomach, resting his forearms and upper body on the lip of the tub as he talks. His feet kick behind him, making splashes in the water.

A noise of irritation and possibly embarrassment comes through the connection and Taako snorts.

_“Please stop calling The Raven Queen my bird mom. I’m most certainly not related to her and she’s a godde—”_

Kravitz trails off, and then he clears his throat in an adorably awkward manner.

_“T-Taako, did you call me from the _bath_?”_

He sounds positively scandalized and Taako grins gleefully.

“You betcha’, Kravvy! You have the pleasure of listening in on some primo Taako Time right now. You should be honored.”

The reaper sputters on the other end of the line and Taako swears he hears a groan buried in there somewhere and hot diggity shit _down boy_!

“Yeah, okay, skelly-boy. So listen,” he drawls, returning to the matter at hand as he twists a lock of immaculately groomed hair around a slender finger, “you never contacted me about our discussion. So, I’m contacting you, yeah? That’s how this works, my guy. Gotta keep the ball rolling or whatever the phrase is. What do you say to continuing that delightful convo in person, mm?”

The reaper sighs deeply over the stone of farspeech and Taako can hear the sounds of rustling papers through their connection.

_“Is three days an acceptable time frame? I’m a busy man, Taako. I’m booked solid until then, you understand?”_

“Sure thing, doll, it’s a date. Meet you at this delightful little place here at BoB HQ. Chug ‘n Squeeze, you know it? Great, see you at seven then! Talk later, ciao!”

As Kravitz sputters on the other end of the line, Taako ends the connection with a laugh. Gods, that reaper is easy to rile up. He settles back into his bath, burning a spell slot to reheat his cooling water and sighs in contentment. Now all that’s left is to convince señor skullface not to harvest any of their souls. He’s pretty confident he can swing it.

* * *

Kravitz is _nervous._ He hasn’t been this nervous in over a century and it’s throwing him off his game. He’s been irritatingly busy since Taako called (during a _bath _no less!) and forced the issue of continuing their “convo,” as the elf had so eloquently put it.

Kravitz quite frankly hadn’t intended to call the troublesome elf back, having already spoken with The Raven Queen on the issue of Refuge. Apparently She had already heard from Istus on the matter and how the three were her acolytes, which honestly Kravitz didn’t really believe. Isn’t Highchurch a follower of that flouncy tree-hugger Pan? He’d banished Legion, for Raven’s sake; he has the favor of a god without question if he is able to do such a thing at all!

Kravitz sighs (he hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Taako of this bizarre breathing development) and turns his thoughts and skeletal visage back to the wayward necromancer he intends to collect. Now is not the time to let his nerves about some mouthy mortal _elf _distract him from his job.

“Now, are you ready to come with me or will this have to get messy?”

He drawls, work accent out in full force as the bloodied, wayward necromancer whimpers at his feet. This one is particularly cowardly and rather foul, even for a _necromancer_. Raising only the recently dead and holding their bodies hostage from the mourning families for coin is rather despicable if Kravitz can say so himself. Of course, one must be objective when they work for The Raven Queen. He snaps his bounty book shut with a sound that makes the necromancer wince and it vanishes back to the Astral plane in a plume of black smoke. The necromancer turns and tries to scuttle backwards but Kravitz’s scythe is too fast for him to escape. One quick stroke and the bastard’s soul splits from his body and Kravitz gets to physically drag it screaming to the Eternal Stockade. He takes a decent amount of satisfaction with the collection of this one.

Once the soul is safely ensconced in the Stockade, Kravitz returns to his office in The Raven Queen’s palace (it’s honestly more of a manse than a palace but he’s not going to split hairs about his boss’ choice of descriptors) to find even more paperwork than when he’d left to collect that last bounty. Flopping into his chair, Kravitz allows himself a brief indulgent sprawl as he slowly pulls flesh over his bones and pushes the billowing black cloak away. He closes his eyes and groans.

“Something is definitely up with you, Kravitz. You’re never this… groan-y.”

Cracking open a carmine eye he glares at his coworker grinning at him from the doorway to his office.

“Don’t you have your own paperwork to do?”

His words are rude but his tone is fond and his work accent forgotten. The woman in the doorway snorts at him. He sits up in his chair and drags his hands down his face as she walks in and leans across his desk.

“Oh, come on now, spill it. You’ve been off your game for three days now. What’s on your mind?”

“One of your _husband’s_ companions is getting on my last nerve, Jules.”

“Oh dear.”

Kravitz grunts in response, wishing he could tell her more. While he is a bounty hunter and reaper, Julia Burnsides is of a different pay grade for The Raven Queen. While he gets to play with the escapees and the criminals and the Eternal Stockade, she manages the innocents and the regular soul ferrying. She’s relatively new around these parts and The Raven Queen had initially taken personal interest in the woman, which had caused quite the scandal among many seasoned reapers in Her employ, barring himself of course. Julia, though, is a delight and has proved to be a valuable coworker and dare he say friend.

“Magnus has always been the type to rush in and help. I’m completely unsurprised his friends are of similar mindsets,” she says, a smile on her face.

Julia doesn’t know of the bounty that had been on the heads of those three, and Kravitz hopes that the dissolution of the contracts ensures she never learns of it. She thinks very highly of her husband and he would hate to see anything effect that profound loyalty and love. (He’s a giant sap, he can’t help it.)

“It’s not that, Jules. He’s more the type to stay out of it all if he can. What was it he said? ‘Good out here’? Ugh.” He grumbles, scowling at the heavy dark wood of his desk, “He’s… he’s so cocky! He… and I’m pretty sure he’s flirting with me.”

“Oh-ho! That’s a new one!” She giggles, deeply amused.

“No, it’s really not. Criminals flirt with me all the time trying to get me to leave their bounties uncollected… he’s different.”

“Hm. Seems like you’ve been thinking about this a lot, Kravitz. How’s this one different?”

“Usually,” he pauses, lacing his fingers together on his desk, “usually they try to appeal to me by being at my beck and call, offering themselves to me in more ways than one. But this one…”

“He didn’t do that, I’m guessing?”

“Not at all. It’s like… it’s like he wants to bend _me_ to _his_ will; to have me be at his beck and call. It’s… quite different and dare I say refreshing, almost?”

Julia hums softly in contemplation as another thought comes to him.

“Did I ever tell you what his first words to me were?”

“No, you didn’t. Do I want to know?”

“He said, and I quote, ‘hey thug! What’s your name? I’m about to tentacle your dick!’ I swear to Her, that is what he said!”

He finishes his anecdote and Julia is immediately incapable of responding, doubled over clutching the edge of his desk as she laughs deep and loud and long.

Kravitz swallows, remembering his feelings at that precise moment. When he laid eyes on quite possibly the most beautiful elf he’d ever seen, he swears he’d felt his unnecessary breath catch. His sudden desires that swam to the surface so quickly and completely still trouble him. Kravitz isn’t like that! Not usually, not for as long as he can remember! And yet he felt something for the first time in so long for this insolent mortal elf who had immediately tried to attack him with the most forward and phallic spell Kravitz had ever experienced. He’d been more than a little aroused by the display of power and innuendo at the time, but those feelings of lust he’s locked up deep inside himself and refused to acknowledge until he understands his own traitorous emotions regarding this cocky elf.

“H-He seriously said that?!”

“Absolutely, and then he attacked me with these slimy black tentacles. I’m telling you, Jules, it was all kinds of bizarre.”

“Ohh, I bet that left an impression! How’s he still bugging you?”

“Well. His job, it’s… it’s risky. And recently something happened that She took notice of, so I took it upon myself to extract an explanation from him.”

Julia raises an eyebrow as she wipes a few stray tears from her cheeks.

“He… we, I was interrupted with an urgent missive from The Raven Queen and was forced to end our conversation short… I, we exchanged frequencies on stones of farspeech so I could contact him to complete the discussion at a later date.”

“Uh-huh, so you basically gave this guy your number. He must be a cute one, then. And hey, with those tentacles and all you know he’s probably a kinkster, right? That’s fun!”

Kravitz groans, burying his face in his hands. If he had circulation he would most definitely be blushing from Julia’s insinuation. (and godsdamnit she hit the nail on the head for all of it!)

“Julia, _please_.”

“Okay, okay. So what’s got you all twisted about this?”

“I… hadn’t intended on contacting him again since She tied up the loose ends, but he… he called me three days ago.”

“And?” She prompts, eyes wide in anticipation.

Kravitz shrugs, trying not to show how embarrassed (and eager?) he is feeling, “And he… he asked me to see him today to continue our conversation. At seven. A-At this place called Chug ‘n Squeeze.”

“Sounds like he asked you out on a date.”

Kravitz groans again, burying his face in his hands. Gods, he’s torn up about the whole situation. On one hand, he feels it’s completely unprofessional to just hang out in the material plane without a job requiring his presence but on the other… on the other, he’s really looking forward to seeing Taako again.

“I don’t know, I don’t think that’s what he meant?”

“Hm, I don’t know, Kravitz. It sure sounds like a date to me. I mean, did he specifically say the word date?”

“Yes?” Kravitz drags the word out, his voice cracking.

“Well do you not want it to be a date? I mean, there’s no rules against extra-planar dating that I’ve found? So like, what’s the worry?”

“I don’t… I don’t know. I don’t want to get my hopes up and start to wish for something more. After all, who wants to literally date Death?”

Julia frowns at him before straightening and putting her hands on her hips.

“Okay. Here’s the deal. Yeah, you’re death but that’s just your job. You, not Kravitz the Reaper, you Kravitz the person are fantastic. You’re smart, well spoken, you’ve got incredible fashion sense and hey, you’ve even got a handsome face when you choose to show it. You play the cello better than anyone I’ve ever heard and you are a closet romantic—hey, don’t you dare try to deny it! I know you!”

He sighs, holding his hands in surrender, “Okay, you’ve made your point. I… I get it.”

Julia smiles softly at Kravitz, wisdom beyond her short years shining in her eyes.

“Kravitz, if you want it to be a date, then you should make it one. Ask him how he feels about it, and if he’s game then you’re golden. If not, no harm no foul you can let sleeping dogs lie.”

“I… okay.”

“Alright, lover boy. You get your paperwork done and don’t stand that boy up!” Julia orders, poking Kravitz’s forehead with her index finger.

Said reaper smiles and rubs the spot she jabbed, “Okay, I won’t. Thank you,” he replies softly as she leaves him alone in his office to finish his paperwork for the day.

As his luck would have it and despite his best intentions, Kravitz is still late meeting Taako.

* * *

The rich sounds of a cello reverberate through his private quarters, low seductive bars of music humming in the empty air around him. His eyes are closed as he runs his bow across the strings, pulling notes from his most beloved instrument in a vain attempt to take his mind off of his kind-of-sort-of date with Taako that ended on a terribly awkward note.

His bow screeches across the strings and Kravitz lets out an irritated, weary groan, hiding his face against the neck of his instrument. It has been so long since Kravitz has done anything for himself, anything for his own enjoyment and… he’s worried he’s botched his chances with Taako irreparably.

When he’d sensed the presence of a lich it had been impossible for him to maintain his corporeal form. Liches are no laughing matter and frankly need to be dealt with as soon as possible. Long held instinct just took over and he was no longer able to think about dates or romance. The job comes first, and now, looking back Kravitz hates himself for that.

When Taako had misinterpreted Kravitz’s statement of “there’s something here,” Kravitz hadn’t realized the implications of Taako’s eager “I feel it too” until the reaper had returned to the Astral plane. He felt like a dick, because well, yeah. There was definitely something between them, any idiot with eyes would have been able to figure it out after the night they’d had, sipping mediocre wine and sculpting shitty vases. (Well, Taako’s was perfect but Kravitz was certain his frigid fingers inhibited his ability to mold the clay correctly… just another thing to be self conscious of, hooray.)

And that _something_ between the two of them is both terrifying and exhilarating.

Kravitz wishes he could get a second opinion but he can’t bother Julia at this hour, not when she’s busy in her cabin that The Raven Queen permitted Julia to build. That’s a special place, reserved only for the wayward husband when he finally passes… at least for now. Kravitz has a feeling it’s going to become quite the party place eventually. Even less helpful would be for him to ask The Raven Queen for advice. (While he will never _ever_ admit it aloud, there is some truth in the nickname Taako gave and she’s said multiple times Kravitz is her favorite…) She is both wise and good natured but there’s definitely a line to be drawn when talking about a potential paramour to someone who is essentially his boss.

Kravitz sets down his bow and plucks at the heavy strings absently as he thinks. It’s his fault their kind-of-sort-of date ended on a sour note, so Kravitz feels that it should be his responsibility to salvage the situation. He doesn’t want to lose Taako; he’d had quite a great deal of fun at that kitschy wine and pottery place and despite the not-so-great ending, he still wants more. More conversations, more laughter (he hadn’t laughed as hard as he had with Taako in a very very long time,) more shy touches that make Taako shiver and comment on how cold Kravitz is. Kravitz wants more of everything. He wants to learn what makes Taako tick, learn what makes him happy and sad and what pushes him into fury. He wants to try some of Taako’s cooking that the elf swears will be the best thing he’s ever put in his mouth, he wants to become friends with Merle and Magnus and Killian and Carey and maybe most of all, Angus. For all of Taako’s moaning and groaning about how annoying the kid is, it’s blatantly obvious how much the elf adores Angus.

Kravitz pulls his stone of farspeech out from beneath his shirt, holding it gently in the palm of his hand where it rests on its silver chain. He put it on there recently, after his kind-of-sort-of date with Taako, wanting it nearby just in case he gets a call. He stares, chewing on his lower lip in nervous habit as his other hand plucks absently at his cello’s strings. He takes a deep, unnecessary breath.

“Taako, do you have a moment?”

He’s dropped the cockney accent with Taako ever since the night at The Chug ‘n Squeeze and he’s grateful. It gives his words a feeling of sincerity and he wants to be sincere with Taako.

There’s a long pause but a crackle rings through followed by the more glorious sound.

“_Kravitz?_”

“Um, yes, this is he. Just… um.”

Gods, this is embarrassing. He feels like his throat is closed over, or his vocal cords frozen. There’s silence and Kravitz’s antsy fingers drop the stone of farspeech so it lays warm against his chest as he plucks out soft notes on his cello.

“_Well, my guy, I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”_

“I… to be honest, Taako, I… I wanted to apologize for running off so suddenly with little explanation. It was incredibly rude of me.”

_“Whoa, whoa there, my fella! My Umbrastaff tried to fry you! I’d have turned tail and run, too!”_

Kravitz smiles slightly at Taako calling him “my fella,” enjoying the possessive a little more than he probably should. It’s dangerous to think that way.

“Regardless, Taako, I feel horrific about the entire incident and I felt it necessary to apologize. I had a wonderful time leading up to my unfortunate departure.”

_“Hm, did you? I guess it went pretty smooth as far as first dates go...”_

Kravitz swallows nervously, reaching down to grasp the bow he’d leaned against his leg and making a few soft passes over the strings with it.

“Y-You consider it a date, then?”

_“Well, yeah. I mean it started out as both business and pleasure but let’s be real here, my fella, the pretense of ‘business only’ got dropped pretty damn quickly. Don’t deny you were flirting with this fine ass, bone boy.”_

“I-I wasn’t! I don’t think I could avoid flirting with you even if I tried. You’re absolutely stunning, Taako. Easily one of the most interesting mortals I’ve ever had the pleasure to get to know. I just… I also considered our time together a date,” he replies softly, embarrassed, “so it’s nice to know those feelings weren’t entirely one-sided.”

The silence on the other end rang loudly in his ears and his playing paused.

“Taako?”

_“You… wowza. You can’t just say things like that, handsome. Gonna’ give poor Taako here a serious case of heart palpitations.”_

Kravitz chuckles, playing a few notes on his cello again, “I apologize, that certainly wasn’t my intention.”

_“Ugh why are you so charming? This is wicked unfair, you know how I love compliments.”_

There’s a long pause and Kravitz plays a few bars of music quietly on his cello, unsure of what to say. As his notes grow louder, there’s a sharp intake of breath that crackles over the line.

_“Are you listening to music?”_

“Ah, well yes. I’m playing it, actually. Why? Is it bothering you? I can stop…”

_“Oh-ho, no-no-no. Absolutely not! I definitely want to hear what you can play, mister I-wanna-be-a-conductor. Seduce me with sound, handsome…” _the elf drawls, his voice sending shivers up Kravitz’s spine. So much promise in such simple words…

“A-Alright, I’ll certainly give it a shot…” Kravitz pauses, bow perched over the strings, “… what do I get if I succeed in seducing you?”

_“Mmm, I’ll have to think about it. Get playin’, handsome.”_

[(For your listening pleasure: Cello Suite No. 1 by Bach, performed by Stephen Sharp Nelson)](https://youtu.be/Xa83Kv9XoBk)

Kravitz smiles to himself and draws his bow across his cello’s strings, playing a Cello Suite he’d learned from the Plane of Thought, composed by a man named Bach. He plays with his soul, his whole body moving as he draws his bow across the strings, his fingers pressing chords with dexterous skill. It’s been far too long since Kravitz has done a proper concert, and he revels in the moment, delighting in his perfect, elven audience of one. Against his will or perhaps because of it, his long-untouched bardic magic drifts to the surface, hanging in the air around him as he pours his entire soul and body into this musical piece. The sheer depth of the music, his passion, his pleasure resonates strongly within his quarters, infiltrating every space and positively filling the small room with joyous sound. His whole body moves and sways as he plays, his stone of farspeech skimming his chest, warm where and when it presses to his cold skin. As he reaches the climax of the piece, Kravitz pours everything he feels into his playing. If he had a heartbeat he knows it would be racing in his chest, exhilaration flooding through every pore as he hangs his emotions on display for Taako to feel.

There is profound silence when he finishes his performance, the adrenaline causing him to take deep involuntary breaths. He feels _alive _in ways he hasn’t in a very long time, _alive_ in a way so similar to how he’d felt when he was with Taako at The Chug ‘n Squeeze. He fights to regain composure and listens.

_“Wow. Kravitz… that’s…”_

Taako’s voice is breathy and choked sounding, which both worries and pleases Kravitz.

“W-What did you think..?” He asks hesitantly, worrying his lower lip with his teeth as his hand holding his bow shakes.

_“Kravitz, that was beautiful. Consider cha’boy Taako _thoroughly _seduced.”_

If Kravitz could blush he would be, pleased with himself and his successful seduction attempt.

_“Tell you what, tall-dark-and-talented,” _Taako drawls through their connection, _“I completely forgive you for your perceived rude behavior and as a bonus, you’ve just won yourself a permanent Call Taako pass.”_

“Oh? A Call Taako pass?”

_“That’s right, handsome. You now have explicit permission to call me any time if you need a little Taako action. It’s a serious gift, I’ll have you know. My time is precious and very valuable,” _he says, ending his sentence with a poorly concealed yawn.

Kravitz laughs, the joyful sound resonating almost as strongly as his music.

“Alright, I believe it. Thank you for forgiving me, Taako. It means a lot.”

_“Mm, you betcha’, Kravvy. Now don’t get this elf twisted, I would love to stay up and chat but Lucretia is a cruel woman and I’m absolutely wrecked from training today. I’m gonna’ be busy a lot, hot stuff, but call me anytime in the evening… that is, if you want to.”_

The end of his statement is almost a question, rife with insecurity but Kravitz doesn’t touch upon it.

“Alright. Rest well, Taako. I look forward to speaking with you again.”

_“Mmhm, I bet you do, gorgeous. Ta!”_

Their connection is severed, but Kravitz has never felt more alive.

* * *

Taako watches wearily as Merle bumbles off to gods know where, muttering something indiscernible under his breath and Magnus jogs off after Carey, eager for more roguish training. With a sigh, Taako turns with a click of his heels and dramatic flair before heading back to the dorms. Exiting the dojo, he takes in a deep breath, shutting his eyes momentarily as he attempts to begin his decompression. The quad at this hour of the evening is quite serene and surprisingly beautiful, and absently Taako wonders if he should invite Kravitz over for a stroll. He immediately dismisses the thought; that’s not nearly good enough for a second date (did the phone call where Kravitz played him music count? Or was that like date 1.2? Fuck) ugh, who is he kidding? He wants his (his? Is Kravitz his? Yeah. His.) skull boy to stick around after, not flee out of sheer boredom. Huffing a breath that blows some of his long hair from his face, Taako struts his way across the grass, wiggling his fingers in nonchalant waves to passing members of the BoB. Celebrity status is nice and all but truth be told, today Taako wants to be left alone, barring the company of one workaholic reaper, or course.

He’s got bruises across nearly every inch of his skin, sticky with dried sweat. He really hadn’t been exaggerating when he mentioned to Kravitz how intense his training had become. Every session leaves him exhausted and sore and filthy and absolutely _starving. _He knows he can manage to take care of the dirty part fairly easily, a bath or fantasy shower will wash away all the sweat and dirt; rest will take care of his exhaustion, and he has some tea that will take the edge off his pain but being hungry? That only leaves one option. He can’t risk eating anything from that gods forsaken mess hall, he’s seen their kitchen and it’s abhorrent, so he has no choice but to cook for himself. He hasn’t done so in quite some time, but he figures it’ll bring some semblance of normalcy to the chaos that has become his normal life. Ugh, wretched.

Unlocking the door to the dorm, Taako sets his signature hat on the coat rack, kicking off his heeled boots with little ceremony. He puts the teapot over the stove, setting out the pain relieving leaves in a mug for when the water is done. He strips as he heads for the fantasy shower, tossing his clothes in a pile as he goes. Stepping under the hot stream coaxes a throaty moan from between his lips as the superb water pressure massages his beaten muscles and washes away the sweat and grime. He briefly thinks about making this some special Taako Time but refrains, too exhausted to even attempt masturbating. He takes just enough time under the spray to clean himself properly with his favorite violet scented soap before stepping out and toweling off his long hair. He examines himself naked in the vanity mirror, poking at the mottled blue purple and yellowing bruises marring his skin. There is one in particular he doesn’t like perched directly over his left ribs, the large bruise a nebula of colors that can’t possibly be healthy. He sighs, walking naked to his bedroom closet and pulling on his favorite comfortable leggings and a flowing purple shirt that shows off his collarbones and throat. Just because he’s by himself doesn’t mean he’s got no reason to look good. He’s got pride to maintain, after all.

He loosely braids his long, wet hair as he heads into the kitchen where the teapot waits, whistling cheerily. Managing a pseudo fishtail, he ties off the braid and flips it over one shoulder as he pours the boiling water over the leaves he’d put in his favorite mug, setting it aside to let it steep. The fridge stands before him and he sighs, digging through the cold confines to find ingredients. Some salmon he’d caught recently on an off-base fishing trip is still fresh enough to use because of the preservation spell he’d cast so he sets the protein on the counter and continues his search. Rice, veggie stock, bok choy, limes, and transmuted produce and spices join the protein on the counter and Taako gets to work.

While he’s waiting for his stock to heat, his stone of farspeech crackles to life.

_“Taako? Do you have a moment?”_

“For you, Kravitz? Anytime. What’s crackin’, my fella?” He replies, a smile splitting his lips as he works on washing his collection of produce.

_“Paperwork, unfortunately. One of my coworkers was keeping me company but she had to head out. I wanted to talk to you.”_

A brief swell of jealousy rises in Taako’s throat but he swallows it down. There is no reason to feel that way, stop it!

“Oh yeah? She a bounty hunter too or more bureaucracy?”

_“Bureaucracy, I suppose. She’s below my pay grade and doesn’t chase after renegades like I do. But today has been quiet. Just paperwork and routine collection. But anyway, now that I’ve told you about how boring I am, what are you doing?”_

“You’re not boring, bubbeleh. You’re Bird Mom’s head bounty hunter and that’s pretty fuckin’ radical, my guy.”

Kravitz groans through their connection.

_“Why oh why do you insist on calling The Raven Queen my bird mom?”_

“Because it’s funny, hombre. Now do you wanna’ know what ol’ Taako’s up to or nah?”

_“Yes, I do want to know! After all, I did call you.”_

Taako grins as he sharpens his chef’s knife, certain the metallic sounds carry through their connection.

“I’m just cooking myself dinner, no big.”

_“What are you making?”_

Taako swears he can hear Kravitz leaning forward in his desk chair through their connection, interest plainly evident in his tone. It’s… nice, actually, to have someone so obviously interested in what Taako is doing and saying. He’s flattered, although that flattered feeling is served up with a hearty helping of affection. Taako tries to squash it, but stubbornly it stays whole and unmolested.

“Since you asked,” he drawls, burying his affection, “Taako’s gonna’ whip up some lime wasabi salmon with rice and bok choy.”

_“That sounds delicious. I can’t remember the last time I had salmon.”_

Taako hums as he slices, dices, and peels his way through the cleaned produce, the knife steady and sure in his grip.

“It’s pretty simple actually,” he replies as he quickly makes a dressing and pours the rice into the boiling stock to cook, adding seasoning as he goes, “but we don’t have access to too many great ingredients on the freakin’ moon so Taako do what Taako gotta’ do, ya’ dig?”

Kravitz laughs, “_I dig, no doubt about that,”_ he says as the sound of a chair creaks through their connection, _“do you cook often, Taako? You mentioned your skill to me on our date but I wasn’t under the impression you cooked very much anymore. Am I wrong?”_

Taako pauses as he’s heating his pan, fillet knife stuck in the meat of the fish. He is surprised at himself. It feels… wrong to lie to Kravitz. It feels strange to consider not telling the truth of why he stopped cooking for others. Granted, it wasn’t actually Taako’s fault those people died, fuckin’ Sazed gets the responsibility for that… that revelation from the chalice rekindled his love of cooking again. He hadn’t transmuted the elderberries to nightshade. He hadn’t murdered those people. He thinks Kravitz deserves to know the truth after all, they’re dating, right? Isn’t that a thing you do when you start dating someone? Share this shit? His confidence in his skill as a chef is still there, and it’s growing back. He will never do a travelling show again, but he can at least cook with confidence for himself and maybe someday his idiot friends. He finishes filleting the fish and takes a deep breath.

“No, I don’t cook for others very often… I used to, had a show and everything, but my assistant poisoned the meal with arsenic and killed everyone who ate it. I was lucky I didn’t taste as I went that day or you woulda’ met ol’ Taako a little bit earlier, my guy. I only just found out about the poisoning too; for years I thought I fucked up somehow, transmuted something wrong or whatever, obvs I didn’t because bubbeleh let’s be real, Taako is a fuckin’ baller-ass flipwizard. Still a relief to know those people dying wasn’t my fault, though.”

_“That’s awful. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”_

The sincerity and sympathy warm Taako from the inside, and the lack of pity is refreshing. Kravitz never seems to make him feel like he’s someone to be pitied, even if the reaper is totally unlocking his tragic backstory. Ugh how cliché. He pokes at the sizzling salmon with his spatula.

“Yeah, well shit happens and I know I’m never gonna’ work the circuit like that again so it’s no real loss. Besides, I can still cook, it’s not like my talents are completely wasted, you know?”

_“Whenever you’re comfortable, Taako, I would love to taste a meal you made. I don’t necessarily need to eat, but I admit I am curious to see for myself if you’re as good as you claim. It’s entirely possible you may be tooting your own horn.”_

Kravitz’s voice turns teasing and Taako snorts in amusement, taking his seared salmon off the heat and checking his rice.

“Well, want me to get Merle to Zone of Truth my beautiful ass? I’ll tell you again I’m the best damn cook you’ve ever met, and you best believe that, handsome.”

_“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it, then.”_

Their conversation waxes and wanes naturally as Taako plates his meal, sipping his tea and eating leisurely from his perch on the couch. Everything is perfect, _obvs_, but he takes a little more enjoyment in consuming it than usual. He explains flavour profiles to Kravitz, discusses the differences between real and transmuted ingredients, and Kravitz listens attentively. He asks the right questions and seems genuinely interested in hearing Taako rant about food. With every passing word, Taako can feel himself falling deeper and deeper for this man he’s only known a short while, and for once he’s not completely terrified. He has to cut the call short when the two wayward idiots return to the dorms for the evening, but Taako can readily admit he has had a wonderful evening and he settles into his Trance with a smile.

* * *

Stumbling into his dorm, Taako hisses as he pulls his favorite hat off, hanging it on the coat rack. (It’s torn now, but he’ll have Merle Mend it later.) He kicks off his boots with little ceremony, dragging himself into the bathroom and struggles to turn the knobs properly so the huge soaker tub will fill with hot water. His fingers feel fat and clumsy, weak and stiff in ways he’s unfamiliar with. He can’t believe he’d agreed to extra training with Magnus. What a fuckin’ mistake, Ruff Bois don’t play nice. He’s already been giving Angus magic lessons (which is godsdamn exhausting; the kid has so much damn energy it’s ridiculous) on top of Lucretia’s insanely demanding training sessions she’s been forcing on them. Today, he got destroyed. Utterly annihilated by that giant lunatic and his scaley buddy. Merle is a shitty fuckin’ cleric (surprising absolutely no one) and passed the fuck out before he could heal anyone.

Taako strips methodically, wincing and hissing as his clothing catches on the wounds and bruises covering his body. His ears flick downward with every pass over tender skin, flighty and twitching with discomfort. The water is almost painfully hot as he sinks into the tub and he chokes out a pained groan as the heat seeps into his screaming muscles. He’s forgone bubbles today, too tired and beaten to even consider it. He rubs his hands across his face, the appendages coming back smeared in old blood. He flinches and dunks his hands into the rapidly dirtying water, disgusted and exhausted by every circumstance.

Is it too much to ask to not be mercilessly assaulted every day? He groans again and sinks into the water, blowing bubbles from his nose. What does Lucretia know that they don’t? He’s not stupid, (despite the act he puts on; misdirection is better than vulnerability) he knows she’s hiding something. She knows something. He’s fairly certain she’s deeply worried about the next relic, but she’s frustratingly tight lipped about the whole “who what why how” shebang. He just wants a valid fuckin’ reason for why he has to get the shit kicked out of him on the daily, is that too much to fuckin’ ask? Taako’s not a masochist like Mags and hell, even Merle’s a bit of a glutton for punishment but not Taako, nah, nope, this elf is good _waaaay_ out here.

He stands from his grimy grubby water and drains the tub, casting mage hand to bring him his stone of farspeech as he trips into the massive fantasy shower. The cold tile is a relief to his reddened skin and he allows his body to slide down the wall, the mage hand just barely managing to flick the water on before he loses his concentration and it disappears. He remains sitting under the spray, head lolled back against the tile. He’s tired. He’s done. He’s alone.

“Bubbeleh, you there?” He murmurs, his voice weak and scratchy with exhaustion. He closes his eyes, turning his face into the spray. The water washing over him is therapeutic and his body unclenches slowly. There’s a crackle and then a huff of breath through the connection.

_“Are you alright, luv?”_

Ah, the cockney’s out. Kravitz is working, and immediately Taako regrets calling in his pathetic state. Sometimes he forgets skelly boy has a real job, one that keeps him occupied more often than not. He’s interrupted a few reapings-in-action at this point and usually waits for Kravitz to call.

“Ah, didn’t realize you’re busy. I can call later…”

_“Nonsense! Give me a mo’ and I’ll have this bounty all wrapped up... get back here, you bloody knob!”_

Taako manages a snort, pressing a hand to his face as he listens to Kravitz chase down his bounty. He fights back amused chuckles and snorts as he hears the scattered conversation and noise. This one seems particularly whiny and annoying, if the fluctuations in Krav’s work accent are anything to go by. The reaper is obviously annoyed and this bounty is begging in ways that are just uninspired and mundane. Hm. Maybe he could give some hints? Nah, tent porn threats are a Taako Taaco specialty. Gotta’ keep that one close to the chest.

Finally, blessedly finally, Taako hears the metallic _schhhhiiiikk_ of Kravitz’s scythe as the reaper pulls the soul from the necromancer’s body.

“Finally, my guy. Took you a while this time.”

_“This one’s a right cocksucker, luv. Just going to dump his sorry arse into the Stockade. We can properly chat in a mo’, promise.”_

“Oh, no worries, gorgeous. Taako’s not goin’ anywhere.”

Kravitz lets out an affirmative hum from his end of their connection and Taako shuts his eyes, tilting his head back against the fantasy shower tiles as he listens to the ambient sounds of portal ripping and the Astral Plane. He loses track of time, finally in a state of relaxation as his body completely unclenches.

“_—ako? Taako? Are you still there?”_

The voice coming through the connection has no accent and sounds incredibly worried. Taako pulls himself back to the present.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, Krav, I’m still here,” he replies, sleepily opening his eyes and pushing himself to standing. His legs feel like jello but he knows if he stays in the shower much longer he’ll be reduced to a prune.

_“Are you okay? You seem far away today. Is there anything I can do?”_

Taako feels a soft, fond smile split his lips as he turns off the shower and wraps himself in his soft pink terry cloth robe.

“No, bone boy, I don’t think so. I mean, unless you’ve got the time to spare to physically visit cha’boy?” He drawls, aiming for aloof and tripping into hopeful. He silently curses himself and his nigh incapability to be calm and collected around this dork; hell, even over a conversation where they’re not even face to face! Vulnerability is no good. Not worth the struggle, but it always seems to spew out of him with Kravitz.

_“I’m sorry, Taako. After that last imbecile I’m drowning in paperwork. I would love to visit you, though. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a real date.”_

“A real date? What’re you yammering on about, handsome?” Taako is genuinely confused, standing in front of the refrigerator with the grapes in hand, staring off into the middle distance as he tries to parse through the wording. They’ve only had one date so far, even if it started out as business lite? They’ve had lots of conversations over the stones of farspeech for the past few weeks since but—oh.

“Wait wait wait,” Taako nearly shouts, “are you counting our conversations as dates?!”

_“Well, I, uh… no? I mean, no not really?”_

Kravitz sounds completely embarrassed, and Taako laughs, pulling out his grapes and kicking the refrigerator shut and heading towards his bedroom.

“Oh Kravitz, my boy, that’s too sweet.”

_“Y-you don’t consider them dates?”_

“Well I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really been. Conversation is different than actual dates, yanno? But it’s real sweet you think that these little talks we share are date worthy.”

_“Well I suppose the fact you think I’m sweet is a small consolation,” _Kravitz mutters, clearly still flustered, “_but I’ll take what I can get, to be frank, Taako. We’re both very busy people you with your training and me with my bounties…” _

Taako hums in agreement, flopping back onto his bed.

“It’s pretty fucking terrible we don’t get to go on more dates more often. I’d be interested in getting my fingers tangled in those locs of yours.”

A sharp cough punches through the connection and Taako grins to himself.

“What, handsome, you never thought about getting’ those cold fingers on a prime slice of Taako?”

_“I uh… I certainly didn’t say that. I have, um…”_

He sounds so profoundly flustered and Taako is completely charmed. It’s stupid how cute death is, completely utterly fucking stupid how far gone he is on this dumb dorky reaper.

“Uh huh, bone-boy. You know you’ve thought about it. Taako’s irresistible, baby.”

Kravitz chuckles, and while the embarrassment is still simmering under the surface Taako is warmed by the sheer affection in that laugh.

“Tell you what, bubbeleh.”

“_Hm? What’s that, Taako?”_

“When we get back from this next hellscape relic collection quest or whatever, I’m gonna take you on a sick date and if you’re lucky you might even get to cop a feel at the end of the night.”

Kravitz outright laughs, joy in the tone and Taako feels himself flush. It’s such a good sound and it fills him with anticipation and simple happiness. It’s stupid how far gone he is on this man. He honestly can’t believe he’s gone and started to really fall for this massive fucking dork. Yeah, he’s got probably the coolest job ever, but that doesn’t mean jack shit because Kravitz is the biggest dork to ever enter Taako’s life.

_“Taako, I would be delighted to go on such a date with you. And I certainly can’t say I wouldn’t be tempted if it goes as well as you claim it will.”_

Even the tips of his ears are red now and Taako is grateful for the distance separating them. He doesn’t want Kravitz to see how much of a giant sap he’s being. It would absolutely ruin his image.

They continue to talk about nothing until Taako’s eaten all his grapes and can no longer smother his yawns. Kravitz bids him goodnight and Taako warns him that next time they’re together that the reaper is gonna get smooched.

It’s their last conversation until The Hunger arrives.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, TAZ: Balance finishes their story as I'm sure y'all know. I'm probs not gonna write more, but y'all can add your own interludes lmao


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